Edward Green: Quintessential British Excellence

Founded in 1890, Edward Green is one of England’s most
prestigious shoemakers. Creating a modest figure of 350 pairs a
week, which is a fraction of its neighbours’ productivity, all
of its shoes have a distinctly British sensibility to them. The
brand is fairly lauded for its refined lasts, quality of calfskins
and handwork and just so happens to be the latest addition to the
burgeoning footwear
offering on The Rake Atelier.

Aside from the quality of its produce, what sets Edward Green
apart is its modern factory, where the brand’s Head of Brand &
Business Development Manager Euan Denholm is showing us around.
“It’s a big, spacious building that’s much easier to work
in, whilst may not be as atmospheric as a
Dickensian workshop it allows our craftsman to properly see the
character of the shoe and leather they are working on,” he
says. The factory is brightly lit and devoid of the creaky
floorboards and spiderweb-clad windows found elsewhere in the
shoemaking town. As a result of having this sort of set up,
it allows the brand to perform at a consistent and high-quality
function.

Our tour starts in the clicking room, where the shoemaking
process starts following the selection of calfskins. In comparison
to other local shoemakers, Edward Green’s clicking room is
significantly smaller and quieter, thanks to the select amount of
craftspeople working to meet the brand’s modest output.
Furthermore, all of the parts are cut by hand, rather than a loud,
industrial punching machine. Edward Green primarily uses Italian
and French-sourced calfskins, and its veteran clickers’ roles are
to survey the skins and feel for growth marks and imperfections and
adherently work around them — there are no compromises or
exceptions. Then, according to the pattern of the shoe, they click
the uppers from the finest and most flawless areas using their own
unique tools.

Once all of the parts have been clicked, they’re delivered to
the closing room, which is occupied mainly by women who work in
teams to be as efficient as possible. It’s lead by Julie Smart,
whom Denholm describes as a “leader who understands the industry
like the back of her hand. She also understands the difference in
quality that we aim for here at Edward Green.”

With 12 stitches to every inch, and under the guidance of Smart,
each craftswoman closes an entire upper by herself using nimble
stitching machines that require trained hands with acute muscle
memory and eagle eyes. It’s within the closing room that one
performed step underlines why Edward Green’s shoes are of the
highest order when it comes to construction: an extra layer of
interlining across the heel, toe and sides, which makes each shoe
far more durable.

One thing that’s clear whilst walking through the factory is
that there is barely any haste in the air. I asked several
craftspeople what they like most about working at Edward Green and,
with most of them having worked for other Northampton-based
shoemakers, the general response was the lack of pressure. They’re
not working to fill orders and demands, which no doubt leads to a
higher quality finish.

The assembled and detailed uppers are delivered to the lasting
room, which is where the shoe starts to take its shape. The uppers
are tacked onto the lasts, of which there are many, and then
utilising the archaic touch of an age-old machine, they’re firmly
sealed on to the elegant form. Following on from two-weeks’
rest on the last, the Goodyear-welt is sewn on before the shoe is
filled with cork and the leather sole is applied. Edward Green
prides itself on its closed-channel stitching, whereby the sole is
opened, stitched through and then resealed, which is why there are
no visible signs of sewing on the sole. It essentially makes it a
very refined and highly finished through, and it’s a touch that’s
rarely demonstrated by English shoemakers.

One of Edward Green’s best-kept secrets is its finishing room,
where an eclectic range of burnishing and polishing processes are
carried out. We weren’t allowed to shoot any of this, much to our
disappointment, however, we were allowed to witness the finesse and
painstakingly-slow process of the uppers being closed via the use
of boar bristles. They’re thinner than a traditional needle and
therefore create a finer finish, but require more skill. They’re
used to close the
Halifax model and more, however, the technique
deserves its own story as it’s remarkably intricate and is a
hallmark of quality. Stay tuned on that front.

As previously mentioned, an Edward Green shoe is as
quintessentially English as can be. The 202 last is the most common
one used across the range. It’s also the brand’s most versatile
last, and is used to form Oxfords,
Derbies,
military boots,
chukka boots and monk-straps
at both ends of the formal-casual spectrum. “It’s one of our older
lasts with really nice and soft round lines – nothing too
accentuated,” Denholm explains. The
Chelsea model is built upon it and it’s one of
the brand’s best-selling models. A true Oxford dress shoe features
a straight toe cap and a neat ‘swans neck’ across the upper. The
Berkeley, which is similar to the Chelsea yet
features a neat, perforated toe cap, also comes on the 202 and the
brand refers to it as a ‘Jermyn Street classic’. Finally, the
Halifax, which is a split toe chukka boot that’s hand-sewn using a
boar’s bristle, is made from Utah leather – an extremely soft
calfskin that’s tanned in Alsace, France. It’s tanned in nine
different oils and develops a wonderful patina over time.

Whether you are looking for a shoe for business, the
great
outdoors, a
casual weekend, the house or a black
tie event, there’s something for each occasion.
There’s also a guarantee of sorts that comes with a pair of
Edward Green shoes which is that their sentimental value will only
increase throughout the years. A sound investment for sure, and a
hallmark of quality and stoic Britishness.